Let’s be honest… Tales of Zestiria was a huge let down. Bandai Namco (or Namco Bandai or whatever they’re calling themselves this week) had done a fantastic job on the series recently, making some of the best JRPGs I’d ever played and then Zestiria came out with its anticlimax of a finish, awkward combat, and disappointing core protagonists, reminding us all that what goes up must come down. Then I heard about Berseria, I saw trailers of it and it looked promising.

I kept hearing tidbits about the game that seemed good. It has a darker tone? Intriguing. The protagonist is female? Nice change of pace. But my hope wilted when I found out it took place in the distant past of Zestiria. I began to fear that we were in for another let-down. I still wanted to believe it would be good, that we would be going back to the greatness the last installments had featured… but I had my doubts. Now, the question then becomes: were my doubts realized?

In the world of Bloodivores, a sudden event caused people to start displaying vampiric tendencies. Fearing a potential disaster, The BST, an organization focused on the control and research of these ‘Bloodivores’, was formed. Before long, the BST had initiated measures to protect humanity from the Bloodivore threat, primarily placing sensory collars on anyone with the symptoms that would alert authorities if someone afflicted was a potential threat to humanity.

Alongside these measures, they also began researching the condition and, as one step towards understanding it and finding a cure, they began trying to breed a Bloodivore with a human. As a result, our protagonist Mi Liu was born. Our story begins with him as a rebellious teenager trying to help his friends get a little money to save their orphanage. Okay, maybe more than a little. To do this, they rob a bank but things don’t go quite as intended…

Early last year, I wrote a review for a digital card game who had just made their official ‘release’ called Hex. I rarely do these sorts of review updates… but sometimes it proves necessary. My initial review cautioned people to not get suckered in by their promises as the game’s non-standard elements were still very much lacking, while offering strong praise for the game’s competitive elements – the more traditional things that make a ‘TCG’ run.

Almost a year has passed since then, and Hex Entertainment has been busy. They have released a plethora of new cards, and are on the verge of releasing another set as we speak. They have revamped their tournament structure, taking strong advantage of the digital framework they’ve built to explore new territory. They have expanded their free to play offering, revamped the difficulty curve, and significantly enhanced the reward structure. So, given all of the above… how does the game look now?

This review will utilize some TCG jargon without explanation. If you’re unsure what the terminology means, I recommend looking here as the definitions are fairly good.

The world is suddenly invaded by a strange species of aliens. These ‘Neuroi’ appear out of nowhere and start taking over parts of the world, and humanity’s primitive 1940s technology is insufficient to do them harm. Fortunately, young girls with magical power called Witches appear to combat this threat!

Yep, you heard me… 1940s alternate history. Witches. Again. Don’t worry though, it’s not the same show. Or maybe you should worry, since Izetta was quite good. Will Brave Witches be able to live up to the bar set by this season’s other World War 2 witch show?

Izetta: The Last Witch is an alternate Earth anime that takes place in the fictional alpine country of Eylstadt at the dawn of World War 2. Our titular character is the last surviving member of a clan of witches who swore to not intervene in mankind’s fate in any way after one of their numbers turned the course of a similar war long in the past. This witch came to be known as the White Witch of Eylstadt, and has become a legend and a symbol to the country.

Fast forward to the current era, and Izetta is the last of her people, and the last descendent of that legendary witch. When war threatens Eylstadt, and nobody else seems willing or able to help Eylstadt against Germania, Finé – Crown Princess Ortfiné Fredericka von Eylstadt to be specific – is reunited with Izetta, who she met and befriended at a young age… and Izetta faces a difficult situation. Does she respect her late Grandmother’s wishes and honour what her clan long ago swore, or does she protect her dear friend and enter into what will later become known as a World War.